Son of the Great
by Agailius
Summary: In the aftermath of the Fourth Heaven's Feel, Iskandar emerges as a survivor amidst the fire and death of Fuyuki. Together with Waver, they rescue a small boy from the inferno-whom, on sheer impulse, the King of Conquerors decides to take under his wing. Ten years later, a new War endangers Fuyuki, and Shourisha Shirou must rise to the challenge to defend his new family.
1. Chapter Zero Point One

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Zero. Both titles are owned by Type Moon, and I am in no way shape of form capable of replicating their sheer levels of awesome... or zetsubou, for that matter. Urobutcher isn't legendary for nuthin'.

* * *

><p><em><span>Emiya residence, Fuyuki, 1994, 11:47 PM<span>_

**{BGM: Fate/Zero OST; _King's Session_}**

_What did I do to deserve this...?_ Waver Velvet whined in his head as he sat in the old, dilapidated shed next to Rider, with Saber and her Master adjacent to them. Emiya Kiritsugu's cold, grim stare seemed to boar into Waver's head like a rusty cork-screw. Saber's eyes, meanwhile seemed filled with a righteous indignation, as though Rider and he had committed some grave sin to offend her so. For his part, Rider seemed rather calm-almost bored of the situation, like a child who'd been desensitized by one to many lectures his parents berated him with. Considering they could be killed at any given moment, Waver found his Servant's lack of worry baffling, to say the least.

It had started several hours before, when Saber suddenly began pursuing them for reasons unknown at first. She managed to catch up with them using a combination of a rather impractical motorcycle and some Noble Phantasm of hers, before Iskandar engaged her with the full force of his chariot-

Only for the Gordius Wheel to be obliterated away by the golden sword of the King of Knights.

How he and Iskandar had survived boggled Waver's senses, though he frankly didn't care about it, considering he was still alive... albeit having passed out and well near soiled himself. When he regained his senses, Saber was demanding where they had stowed away the Einzbern woman who had always followed Saber around-Irisviel, he recalled. When Rider told her they had no involvement in such an underhanded tactic as kidnapping, Saber herself wasn't convinced, insisting that she'd seen Rider make off with her after killing another of her accomplices.

Rider was quick to denounce her charges, citing that Saber should have understood him to not possess the dishonorable nature necessary for such an act, as well as showing her Waver's wrist-proving that he hadn't been ordered by a Command Spell, either. He also deduced that whoever was trying to frame him was likely trying to merely throw her off. Despite the validity of his claim, Saber seemed nonetheless convinced of her initial suspicions, and was preparing to reengage...

Before Iskandar proposed the unthinkable.

Wanting to clear his name of the injustice which he was framed for, Rider proposed Saber take him and Waver to her Master, to offer what help he could in finding Irisviel. Citing on his honor as a hero, he swore he would commit all his efforts into assisting her until the matter was resolved. Waver almost protested, but he realized the wisdom of the gesture before voicing his disapproval. He'd probably be less likely to be hounded by Saber's Master if they cooperated, therefore dramatically increasing his and Rider's chances of survival. So, reluctantly, he conceded to Rider's will. Saber, meanwhile, still seemed suspicious-but coupled with his surprising compliance as well as his honorable nature, Rider's offer seemed better than any other ideas she had.

Which led to their current situation.

Waver gulped as Saber's Master stared at him with those ruthless, dull eyes of his, as though he was like a hawk eying his prey. Nevertheless, Waver reasoned acting like some cowardly brat wasn't going to help-so he met Kiritsugu's gaze with as much courage as he could muster, bolstered by Rider's presence despite his obvious intimidation of the infamous Magus Killer.

Kiritsugu lit a cigarette, blowing smoke through his nostrils before he began to speak. "I must admit you've caught me by surprise, Master of Rider. You're bolder than I took you for by actually coming here... and even more stupid. I have both you and your Servant now at my mercy-all it'd take is one order, and you'd bother be cut down right here."

"L-like I have a choice, anyway!" Waver retorted with a huff, "I know damn well you'll kill me if I run away, so this stupid plan of Rider's seems preferable!"

"...I take it back," he said with a slight, chilling smirk. "You may have some brains in that head of yours after all. More than I can say for your former mentor."

Waver bit his lower lip at that. He'd known that Kayneth was murdered several days ago, alongside his wife and Lancer, as well. Hell, Rider had insisted on leaving the bodies for the authorities to find, so they could at least be properly returned to the Archibald estate rather than rot in the wreckage of the hotel. Of all the Masters capable of something like that, he figured the person responsible for assassinating the Master of Caster was the one who had killed him-the Self-Geas Scroll he'd found only confirmed it-and now he was staring him in the face.

"Now, now," Rider said evenly, breaking the ice as usual with simple words. "We haven't come here for violence. I and the lad have volunteered to help you find your lady-friend."

"And what's to say you aren't lying to my face?" Kiritsugu asked, turning his wary gaze to Iskandar. "What's to say you're not just trying to make a cover story for you hiding Irisviel somewhere?"

"Do I look at all like the kind of man who would do such a thing?" Iskandar raised one of his bushy eyebrows at the Magus Killer in a challenging gesture. "I may be a tyrant, but I am by no means a coward. I would not stoop to such underhanded methods in securing my own victory; such dishonor would only serve to besmirch my reputation!"

Kiritsugu merely glared at Iskander, who's dazzling stare sharply contrasted the almost machine-like coldness in his eyes, though thy each possessed a dangerous sharpness to them. "...Very well, let's say you're innocent," Kiritsugu continued. "If you actually do decide to help me find her, what's to stop you from double-crossing me?"

Rider closer his eyes, scratching his beard in a contemplative gesture. "Hmm. That, I must confess, is a tough one. You do not seem the type who takes much stock in words and oaths, after all. How can I..." His eyes flared open suddenly, as though struck by inspiration. "That's it! Lad, show him that paper-thingie!"

"W-what...?" Waver blinked uncomprehendingly. "What paper-thing?"

"You know, that paper you found on Kayneth!" Rider noticed how Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed at that.

"Wait, you mean the-" Waver's eyes widened in dawning horror. "You want me to put myself under a Self-Geas Scroll?!"

"Precisely, lad!"

"That _would_ ensure you don't try anything funny," Kiritsugu begrudgingly admitted, exhaling more smoke. "Once you're under contract, you'll have to follow up on your word, or else there will be nothing stopping me from ordering Saber to execute the both of you. And even after you die, the geas will bind your soul, leaving you in eternal agony." He stared at Waver, the words seeming to pierce through the unimpressive boy like icicles. "Of course, you can refuse, but that won't look very good on your part."

"Y-you guys are all..." Waver whimpered, almost feeling like crying. "Oh, alright! I'll put myself under contract! But I demand you to sign one, too!" He pointed his index finger brazenly at Kiritsugu.

"I don't think you're in any position to be making demands," Kiritsugu said plainly.

"Well, I don't want to end up like Kayneth did; you put a contract on yourself stating you wouldn't kill him, but I found him laying in a pool of his own blood, dead as a dorrnail, with his head chopped off! If you're going to draft me into working with you, you're going to keep your word and not have me killed, got it?!"

Rider, Kiritsugu, and Saber all looked at him with varying levels of surprise at his bold insistence.

"...Very well," Kiritsugu sighed. "But I expect you to be useful. If you only get in my way, don't blame me for what might happen."

"Oho! Then you won't be disappointed!" Iskandar said with a booming laugh as he ruffled Waver's hair. "The lad may not seem like much, but he's a great researcher, as well as a fine alchemist! With you two corresponding as I and Saber search the town, we shall rescue your blushing bride in no time!"

* * *

><p>The matter had been quick-less than a few hours, to be precise. Waver and Kiritsugu each wrote a Self-Geas Scroll, which served to double-reinforce their cooperation. Waver's contract stated that as long as Kiritsugu didn't try to directly kill him nor orchestrate his murder, he would comply to anything short of commanding Rider to kill himself. Emiya, in turn, had stated that Waver and Rider, for the duration of their temporary alliance, had to follow his orders. Any act of insubordination or treachery would instantly mean the nullification of Waver's contract, and Kiritsugu would be free to kill him-but following his orders would ensure Waver's life spared.<p>

Immediately afterwords, Kiritsugu had Waver hit the books, though he gave him enough time to gather whatever tools he had from the Makenzies. While the two Servants roamed the streets for any sign of her and Kiritsugu went off to the Matou estate, Waver was left at the shed, moving between the map of Fuyuki he was marking along with some various chemicals he was testing. Dawn was but a few more hours away.

With what little information the Master of Saber had given him, alongside corresponding with Saber and Rider via some cellular phones he was savvy enough to use, Waver had already narrowed their search to the proximity of Miyami town, based on where Kiritsugu had told him where the Grail might appear. The Magus Killer was reluctant to disclose such information at first, but Waver argued that if he was going to carry out their contract in the most efficient way possible, Kiritsugu couldn't withhold information like that, or they'd get nowhere.

"What I'm wondering is why that lady is so important to get back..." Waver muttered to himself as he scanned the map in front of him. He understood that she was Emiya's wife, but Kiritsugu seemed too... analytical for him to be prioritizing the safety of a loved one. It was almost like... almost like she had some other importance to him, like she was a tool of some sort.

Well, to begin with, Kiritsugu seemed to be the type of man who treated all of his allies as tools, as Waver had come to know last night. But the length he was going to get her back... it seemed almost unreasonable for a man of his mindset. By that conclusion, Waver guessed she had some sort of role to play in the War. He was familiar enough with the Heaven's Feel system to know that the Einzberns were the ones who provided the container of the Grail, so he imagined she had something to do with making the Grail appear, which in turn explained why she was kidnapped as well as why Kiritsugu was asking him to check the marked points on the map. So, in order for Rider's wish to be made reality...

Waver quickly put aside such thoughts. Dwelling on them would likely cost him his life if he dug too deep into the affairs of Saber's Master. And as though fate were hammering that portent into his head, the Magus Killer entered the shed that very moment.

"Well?" Waver asked, "Find out anything?"

"If you're concerned about me still considering you the culprit, you can rest assured that I know you didn't do it. You're simply too inept to have been able to find my hideout, in the first place."

Waver gave an exasperated sigh at that. "I can't tell if you're trying to reassure me or if you're just insulting me. And if you knew I wasn't the culprit, why'd you make me go through all this trouble?"

"Because I prefer having my enemies within my sights, and having an additional Servant helping to look around will speed the process of finding Irisviel. Now tell me what you've figured out."

"Right, right," Waver grunted. "I've crossed out everywhere except two possible points-the church and the city hall."

For some reason, the news made Kiritsugu's already grim face even more difficult for Waver to look at without flinching. "Then it _is _his doing."

"What? Who's doing?"

* * *

><p>"So, Saber, find anything at the church? Besides religion, of course," Rider asked jokingly.<p>

"This is not the time for japes, Rider!" Saber said with anger in her voice. "With each passing moment, Irisviel's life is in even more peril!"

"Now, now, no need to get your garters in a bunch," Rider waved her off casually. "Just trying to lighten the mood, is all. You won't be able to find her nearly as effectively if you're bending yourself out so much. Besides, it's not like she's pressed for time or anything, right?"

Saber cast her gaze to the ground. "...Unfortunately, she is. She is extremely weak in her present state, and outside the confines of the magic circle I made, her condition will likely worsen drastically."

"Hmm. I must confess that to be a bit funny," Rider admitted with a straight face as he scratched his beard, prompting Saber to glare at him. "Not the 'haha' kind of funny, mind you, but the 'gee, that's interesting' kind of funny. I mean, she seemed fine enough back when we were fighting Caster-what on earth would prompt her constitution to suddenly drop like an anvil down a ravine?"

"Do you expect me to reveal something like that to you, King of Conquerors? You may be working with us for the moment, but you're still my enemy."

"Oh, come now. Wouldn't it be more efficient if we put our heads together on this, rather than just butt them against each other? If you try hiding information which could prove invaluable to our cause, how shall you expect us to work at the utmost of our potential?"

Saber felt herself at an impasse. Rider was right in his advice to disclose anything which could help their efforts, and despite their discrepancies, she understood Rider enough to be a man of honor, much like Lancer was. However, on the other hand, he could also use that information against her; as soon as they would have rescued Irisviel, Rider could challenge her to seize the Grail for himself. And with Berserker and Archer still left to deal with... she did not think she would have the strength left to battle his army, even if Archer and Berserker were defeated.

Regardless, however, she realized that if they failed to rescue Irisviel, the Grail would be beyond either of their hands.

"Very well. In truth, Irisviel-" She was cut off by a ringing noise emmiting from Rider's robes, sounding like the telephone Kiritsugu had given Irisviel.

Rider grinned as he slipped a hand into his mantle. "Ah! It looks like the lad has found something! Now, let's see... he said you answer it with... ah! There it is." He pushed the call dial on the phone-admirable, considering his fingers were like great big sausages-then placed the phone to his ears. "Yo, boy! Any luck finding the tower our princess is in?"

"_Basically, yeah,_" Waver said over the line. "_Saber's Master just got back from the Matou manor. And judging by what me and him found, it looks like we're heading to City Hall._"

"Haha! Brilliant, Waver! I knew you could do it! City hall, eh? Well, while we're there, we can convince this city's chieftan to recognize me as king! It'll be killing two birds with one stone!"

"_Whatever, just hurry back here before this guy tries to kill me!_"

"Right, right, we'll be there," Rider laughed before hanging up. "Well, Saber, it looks like our search is over. It is time to storm the enemy base!"

* * *

><p><strong>{BGM: FateZero OST; _Magus Killer_}**

As Saber's motorcycle made it's way through the streets below with Kiritsugu in tow, Bucephalus flew in the sky above, the black charger making up for his comparable slowness with it's lack of restriction as the two kingly Servants made their way towards Fuyuki city hall. With Irisviel's location tracked down, Kiritsugu had wasted no time in ordering the impromptu alliance to sortie out and commence their operation. From what information he'd gathered from his interrogation of Matou Byakuya, he figured Berserker's Master was in league with Kotomine Kirei, and had been the true perpetrator of Irisviel's kidnapping. And while Kiritsugu also knew from prior research that Kariya was by no means a formidable opponent, Berserker had proven himself an extremely dangerous foe, which he himself doubted Saber could win against unless she held nothing back. And with Archer unaccounted for, coupled with the deaths of Tohsaka Tokiomi and Kotomine Risei, the prior elimination of Assassin at the hands of Rider, as well as his own suspicions of foul play at work in Tokiomi's circumstances of demise, the Magus Killer had a chilling feeling that the maddened Servant would not be their only obstacle.

Having Rider along to support Saber seemed like the best chance Kiritsugu had at overcoming two successive battles against what he considered the biggest threats of the War. Irisviel had told him of the overwhelmingly powerful Reality Marble Rider possessed, which was something he'd prefer to have supporting Saber rather than be used against her. The sheer power of Rider's trump card, alongside Waver's ineptitude as a Master, led Kiritsugu to further conclude that Rider was using up his own reserves to compensate, which doubtlessly would severely hamper the number of times that he could use it. Having Rider use his army against Berserker and possibly Archer would help to both eliminate the opposition, as well as leave Rider exhausted and unable to use his Reality Marble against Saber at best, or dead at worst. And despite the contract he'd signed with Waver Velvet, Kiritsugu could simply leave him to the mercy of Berserker's Master while he took care of Kirei, and if he managed to survive somehow, he still would be too weak to pose a threat to him.

Any outcome befalling the two of them, regardless, would benefit him in the end. He would get Irisviel back after defeating Kirei, and the Grail would be his. No matter how much blood was spilled, no matter how many lives he took, he would see his wish a reality.

* * *

><p>"Scared, lad?" Iskandar asked as he, Waver, and Saber slowly made their way through the underground parking lot, the hum of Saber's motorcycle and the clotting of Bucephalus's hooves against the pavement being the only noises in the vast, oppressive silence. Kiritsugu had gone and split up from their group without a word, leaving them to track down and take out whatever enemies they'd have to face while he settled his score with Kotomine Kirei.<p>

Waver himself gulped, a shiver running up his spine. Saying he was scared was like saying the sky was a tad bit blue. He nervously grinned. "Yeah, you could say that. Or is this what you call excitement? We don't know what we're up against, and we're smack dab in the middle of a lonely corridor."

"Well, Assassin is dead, so we don't have to worry about enemies hiding in the darkness."

"That does not mean we should let our guard down, King of Conquerors," Saber spoke up, her eyes betraying no emotion. "I still feel we should have left your Master with mine. If Berserker or Archer should indeed stand in our way, I do not think he will survive such an encounter."

Rider snorted at the remark. "No offense, Saber, but I just can't trust your Master to look after my own. Even if he signed a contract to ensure the lad's safety, that Kiritsugu fellow is a man I simply cannot expect to hold an agreement."

Waver noticed a momentary look of lamentation on Saber's face...

*BANG*

** {BGM: Fate/Zero Anime OST; _Dogfight_}**

...Only for it to immediately be replaced with a look of unprepared shock as a deafening roar of gunshot came from their right flank. Saber-evidently the primary target-was forced to leap from her own vehicle as it exploded from the impact of the round ripping through it's hull. Waver was nearly thrown from Bucephalus' saddle by the sheer force of the explosion, only for Rider to grab him before he could hit the pavement, the burly Servant quickly swerving his steed around behind a support column. Waver's ears were ringing so hard that all other sound was drowned out, his brain feeling like it was cutting against the edges of his skull. Bucephalus had luckily been several meters behind Saber's motorcycle when it exploded, so the worst injury Waver had got for his trouble was whiplash. And judging from the fact what little cover they had wasn't being likewise blown to smithereens, he concluded that, much like at the dock and the river, Beserker was once more fixated on Saber for whatever reason.

Sure enough, when Waver saw Berserker, the black-armored figure had it's attention more or less fixed on the blue knight, the huge rifle in it's hands blasting through whatever cover Saber was using to evade the mad warrior's attacks.

"Blast, even those modern contraptions are made deadly by Berserker's ability..." Rider sighed in a surprisingly nonchalant tone, given the situation. "It really is a pity he can't be reasoned with."

"Will you please concentrate on making sure he doesn't kill us, Rider?!" Waver groaned, still gripping his head.

"Ah, relax, boy. First of all, that boom-stick-thingie of his may be powerful, but I'm under the impression it doesn't possess that much ammunition-that, and it has a slow rate of fire to begin with. Furthermore, he still seems to have that strange fixation on Saber..." Rider's eyes narrowed as he observed the situation, as though something were on his mind.

"Yeah, I have to admit it's weird, too..." Waver blinked, watching as Saber continued to dodge Beserker's attacks, cars exploding and rubble flying through the air. "...Do you think he knows her, somehow? Maybe Beserker has a grudge against her?"

"That _would _explain the obsession he has for her," Rider admitted. "But that accursed mist he girdles himself in has me baffled on who he might be."

Waver grimaced as he stared at the black knight, thoughts spinning in his head, trying to remember all the stories about King Arthur and his-or rather, her-legendary Knights of the Round Table which he'd read about as a boy, trying to see if he could find a connection...

When it suddenly hit him.

"Say, Rider... you know he's able to hide his own identity with that black mist, right? And how Saber thought it was us who kidnapped Irisviel?"

"...Are you implicating Beserker in framing us, lad? He's sort of a madman, you know. I don't think he has the mental capability of such deception. Then again, it **would **also explain him framing us, but how on earth would he have been capable of something like taking on my apperance?"

"Well..." Waver gulped. "When I was a kid, I heard about King Arthur myths about as much as any other bloke. And amidst all of the knights described in those stories, Beserker wouldn't have matched any of their descriptions... up until I started putting facts together."

"And? What did you put together?" Rider asked, himself surprised at the deep look on Waver's face.

"Beserker has a fixation on Saber, and even has the ability to match her in a fight-possibly even beat her by himself. He has the ability to not only hide his own identity, but evidently also take on the identity of others. Furthermore, even as a madman, he wields any weapon with insane skill, and can turn anything he touches into a Noble Phantasm he can use."

"Still not ringing any bells, lad."

"...Of at the knights I read about, there was only one who could do all of that. He would disguise himself as other knights, leaving them the credit to all of his achievements he did in their stead. He once fought and killed several knights when he was armed with nothing but a tree branch. And he was so skilled in battle, none-not even his king-could best him."

By now, Rider's eyes had widened, catching onto Waver's hunches. "Are you saying...?"

Meanwhile, Saber continued to struggle to overpower Berserker. Jumping high into the air to avoid yet another bullet, she then pushed herself forward from the wall, diving straight towards Beserker with a battle-cry, sword in hand. Beserker, in turn, attempted to aim for her head, but to no avail-Saber had already closed the distance between them before he could fire, her invisible blade cutting through his rifle like a hot knife through butter. The black knight fell back to avoid the invisible weapon, giving Saber an opening to close in for the kill-

*BRRRRRRT*

Only for Beserker to literally whip out a machine gun from his free hand. It took everything Saber had to jump to the side to evade, and Beserker was quicker to pursue her with his new gun's much faster rate of fire. With no other option but to fall back before she would be riddled with bullets, Saber opened the distance between them, getting behind a support column for cover. Cover, she realized to her dismay, which would not last long; augmented by Beserker's ability, the bullets were chewing through the concrete beam with ease, and soon it would be reduced to a pile of rubble and dust.

It was at this point that Rider entered the fray, Bucephalus charging towards Beserker's unguarded rear as the King of Conquorers roared, "**_Ooooolalalalalalalalalaaaiii!_**" Beserker had been so fixated on Saber that he had apparently all but forgotten the mounted warrior, the roar of the machine gun not exactly helping, either. Beserker spun around to turn his fire on Rider...

But before the black knight could even swerve himself around halfway, he had only enough time to see the massive war-mount rear up on it's hind legs, flailing it's front legs to strike him. The first of Bucephalus' hooves crashed into Beserker's left shoulder, the sheer force of it jarring the black knight's hold on his gun, hurdling it from his grasp. The second blow connected sqaure in the mad warrior's head, sending him flying towards the wall, a muffled roar of agony escaping beneath Beserker's now-cracked helmet. As the black Servant crashed into the wall, Rider bellowed "Now's you chance, Saber! Take him down before he gets back up!"

Evidently, Saber took the opening that Rider had given her, coming out from behind her cover like an azure blur towards the incapacitated Beserker. Raising her invisible sword above her head, she swung down with a loud, "_**HaaaaaAAAA!**_"

But the blow did not finish the battle.

Saber gasped with disbelief as Beserker held her sword's blade between his two hands. _He caught it...?!_ But how? Cloaked by Invisible Air, her holy sword should not-or rather, _could_ not-be perceived by others, even Servants. That Beserker had been able to catch it did not merely imply a sense of uncanny instinct. The only way he could have caught it was if...

With a kick of it's armored boot, Beserker forced Saber back, the blue knight landing beside Rider. It was at that same time that the complex's fire sprinklers started spitting out water, attempting the extinguish the fires caused by the rather explosive conflict between the three Servants.

_He knows the length of by blade... Was he a knight I knew in life?_ Saber wondered in her mind.

All the while, Rider looked at the black knight with an unusually grim face, sitting alone in the saddle.

* * *

><p><strong>{BGM: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles OST; <em>Ship of Fools<em>}**

Waver was really beginning to hate lonely corridors.

He'd opted to go off on his own to try and find the Irisviel-at least, that's what he told Rider. But he'd never want to admit he'd be in the way fighting Beserker, not to that idiot. Even if the past few weeks had made him all too aware of how much danger being in a situation like that was, he had his pride to think about, for pity sake! Besides, he felt more useful this way. If he could find Irisviel, he could at least point the others in the right direction.

A slight chittering noise from his side reminded he wasn't entirely alone, at least. Theodore, his ferret familiar, was perched on his shoulder busy sniffing away at a strand of white hair; Irisviel's, to be precise. For a ferret, the wily little bugger had an uncanny sense of smell. Once he'd picked up a scent, he'd follow it as keenly as a bloodhound, and the strand-provided by Kiritsugu, obviously-would probably be their only chance of actually finding her in the large building.

Waver absently stroked his familiar's head. He'd really come to rely on Theodore for the past few years. Back at the Clock Tower, he'd gotten Waver into some trouble, but he was still a useful familiar and was a faithful companion. In a way, before Rider came along, the ferret was probably his one true friend. The thought made Waver grimace over his lack of social connections, though he did appreciate Theodore's presence.

The ferret suddenly went upright, it's nose twitching as it looked forward down the corridor. Dooking at a rather annoying pitch, he scampered off of Waver's shoulder, bolting ahead at an unnerving speed for a ferret. "Wha-" Waver grunted as he chased after, hoping to catch up with Theodore, "Hey! Get back here! Did you find her? Wait up!"

* * *

><p>And as the two scampered down the hallway, neither the familiar nor the boy noticed the limping figure slowly pursuing them.<p>

Kariya's body fired jolt after jolt of agony to his fevered brain with each step he took as he followed the figure running farther down the hall. He couldn't idle while someone else was going after the Grail **_HE _**was promised. The priest had promised **_HIM _**the Grail for his services in kidnapping the Einzbern woman. He wasn't about to allow some snot-nosed little punk take what was rightfully his.

Too much was at stake, even when the prize was so close at hand. Sakura-chan's freedom hinged on the minutes ahead. It was the only thing he could cling to now-

Now that Aoi was...

Kariya gnashed his teeth so hard he felt a molar crack. He ignored the pain. He focused on what he needed to do-what he was _going _to do:

Obtain the Grail. Save Sakura-chan.

* * *

><p>A bemused smirk fell across Kotomine Kirei's face as he awaited his enemy to face him. Gilgamesh had told him before he left that Rider as well as his Master had entered the fray alongside Saber, though Emiya Kiritsugu himself had veered off alone from the group to confront him unmolested. By now, the two Servants were likely engaging Beserker. And with Gilgamesh guarding the Grail's position, he wouldn't have to worry about Waver Velvet laying his hands on it before Kirei would have liked.<p>

All he had to focus on now was his fated duel with Emiya. Oh, how he'd love to see the look on the Magus Killer's face if he could just tell Emiya how he'd snapped his wife's neck with his bare hands. But no, he'd simply have to contend with seeing his dying face-seeing the crushing despair as he breathed his last and realized everything he'd fought for would come crumbling down right before him.

The joy he'd experience in that moment, Kirei knew, would be unparraleled. And once Emiya had been defeated, he could then surely be able to find the answers he sought. For though he had promised Matou Kariya the Grail...

He would still be there to bear witness.


	2. Chapter Zero Point Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night, nor any additions, spin-offs, or adaptations of the Fate series. All titles are owned by Type Moon, and I am in no way shape of form claiming ownership of their characters, ideas, or works. Please support the official release.

A/N: And here we are at the second part of the Zero Chapter! Sorry that took so long; I was really dishing out new chapters for aSiW, but after spitting out so many in so short a time, I thought it best to shift gears and get back on the thing I really wanna work on. ...Okay, I also wanted to take a break. There, I said it. Happy? Hopefully, only one more chapter remains before we get to Shirou. Oh, and if you're feeling embarrassed if you're secretly fangasming over Ufotable's remake of Unlimited Blade Works and FINALLY getting around to making a Heaven's Feel adaption-don't be. You are among friends.

Ahem, now that that's outta the way... Just so you know, much of the rest of the story is over on Beast's Lair, though I'm thinking of rewriting a great deal of it, if not all of it. Looking back on something you wrote years ago can be... embarrassing. And if you truly like this fic, REVIEW! I can't get enough of people saying they enjoy my fanfics! Helps me be less distracted by writer's block. *wink wink*

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><p><span><em>Fuyuki Municipal Hall<em>, 1994, 5:28 AM<em>_

"H...hey...!" Waver wheezed, struggling not to collapse as he chased after Theodore. If Waver ever thought himself a fool at school for cutting gym, it would have probably been at that moment, what with his legs about ready to collapse under his own weight and his lungs on fire. Why did that little scamper of a familiar have to be so damned fast?!

It was only after his legs finally gave way and his face hit the carpeted floor that Waver felt his ferret friend finally stop, if the chittering noises near his ear were any indication. "Well, what? Did you find her...?" He sighed, looking up straight ahead.

The hall gave way to the massive auditorium, which seemed akin to a sort of theater or something-a large stage stood in the center, red curtains arraying it. Rows upon rows of seats lined the outer part, all the way towards the exits. But it was the stage Waver turned back his attention to.

For atop a pedestal situated right smack dab in the middle of the chamber, there was a familiar figure, still as the air in the room. Waver made his way down one of the aisles, before climbing up one of the side stairs onto the stage. Drawing nearer to the still form, he was able to get a better look at the woman Emiya Kiritsugu had charged them to find.

Irisviel von Einzbern.

If Waver had to compare her to something, the only thing he could think of was the moon. Her alabaster hair fanned out beneath her, each lock like a delicate ribbon of ivory silk. Her porcelain-esqe skin seemed equally ethereal, being so pale and yet so beautiful. Her maroon top, white skirt, and matching boots made her look like she was the daughter of some ludicrously wealthy family-which was exactly what she was, he gathered, if the Einzberns were as huge a family of magi as Waver had heard.

It was almost story-book. The nineteen-year-old was never really one to bluster around pretty women, but even he couldn't deny that Emiya had bloody scored somewhere along the way. It was always the dark, scary, brooding ones.

But Waver's thoughts were interrupted when he saw Theodore climb up onto the pedestal, the ferret coming up to the still woman, sniffing at her face before he licked her cheek some. When no response came, however, the ferret nudged her again, before it turned back to Waver and made an uncomfortable whine. The latter figured his familiar was trying to tell him something, and some cold pit formed in Waver's stomach as he reached out beneath her chin, trying to look for a pulse-

Only to flinch when he felt something out of place in her neck, and to feel no beating from her heart. Waver swallowed in realization.

"...She's dead..." He grimaced. Whoever had taken her had snapped her neck, almost like it was a twig.

**{BGM: Fate/Zero OST - _The Gilgamesh_}**

"Indeed," Came a new yet familiar voice in reply, causing Waver to gasp and spin his head around to find the source. Theodore practically shrieked, bolting into Waver's sweater, as though vainly seeking shelter within the confines of it's master's cloths. "Now remove yourself from that corpse, mongrel." From the opposite side of the stage, golden strands of light gathered together, and to Waver's frozen terror, they formed from the bottom up a golden-armored figure, his eyes the color of scarlet red, and blonde hair which the boy readily recognized. He looked almost bored by the situation, but his fiery gaze tore into Waver, making the boy feel like a gnat to the figure.

Archer. The single most powerful Heroic Spirit in the Holy Grail War.

Waver swallowed hard, struggling to not allow what composure he could muster to be shattered. "So, you _were_ involved in all this," He managed to utter in a trembling voice, though he otherwise tried to hold his ground as best he could.

"Ho?" the golden Servant said, a chilling smirk crossing his face. "You are Rider's Master, are you not, boy? Then that must mean both he and Saber have finally arrived. Undoubtedly, they are fighting the rabid dog at the moment. Did you perchance flee from the battle as the mongrel craven you are?"

Waver felt frozen by the intense presence he felt from the golden hero, knowing full well the creature before him could slay him at any given moment, and upon a mere whim. Running was obviously not going to do any good, so though he was undoubtedly afraid, Waver somehow found it in himself to stand unmoving against the figure. "No..." He said in a small voice. "I would've simply got in their way back there... But... I still wanted to be useful to them. And the only way I could do that was..."

The golden Servant seemed somewhat surprised by his answer, his smirk fading as he regarded the boy for a moment. "Hm. You say that as though you are his vassal, rather than his Master."

To that, Waver could not answer. In a way, Archer was right. He wasn't Rider's Master anymore. The three Command Seals he'd kept up to that point had been used up on their way over to the city hall, as they were riding through the cold winter air.

_"By my Command Spell, I Waver Velvet order you. Rider, fight until you gain victory. And by another Command Spell, I order you. Rider win the Holy Grail. And by yet another Command Spell, I order you. Rider, conquer the world. I won't accept failure."_

His desire was to sever his ties with Rider, not wanting to get in his way for what they all knew to be the final battle. After the fiasco with Saber, coupled with all the times he'd used his Reality Marble, he knew that Rider needed the Command Seals to have a fighting chance at what was to come. He was ready to accept that his part was over in the War, and that all he could do was trust Rider to win...

And yet the King of Conquerors had insisted he still fight beside him. Not as a Master... but as a friend.

_"Don't die, boy,"_ The last words Iskandar had spoken before he charged into the fray against Berserker resounding in his head. _"We shall see this Holy Grail War to the end, together; regardless of outcome."_

Finally, Waver spoke again, a new-found determination and courage in his voice. "You're right. He's not my Servant. Not anymore. Rider is my friend. If there were ever a man I wanted to follow, it'd be him. And I intend to see this War through until the very end, right by his side."

For a long moment, Waver stared straight at the golden hero, no hesitation or cowardice in his eyes as the strongest Servant looked impassively back at him. Theodore, seeming to have calmed down, poked his head out of the back of Waver's sweater, climbing up until he was again perched on his master's shoulder. Then, his armor clinking softly as he turned his back, Archer said in an imperious voice, "Very well, boy. I shall permit you to wait here until Rider comes. However, you are not the only one here who covets what lurks within that woman's body. Prove your loyalty and survive until the King of Conquerors arrives."

"Eh...?" Waver blinked, but before he could think further, Theodore screeched excitedly to his side, alerting Waver of a sudden loud buzzing noise emanating from the same entrance they'd come from. From the shadows emerged a limping figure... surrounded by a swarm of ghastly, monstrous insects.

"Stay away... _FROM MY GRAIL!_"

The inept magus had barely enough time to start running before the screeching familiars flew straight towards him from across the chamber, with razor-sharp claws and fang-like teeth to rip and tear flesh. His adrenaline kicking in, Waver's prior exhaustion evaporated in the face of primal fear, as he and Theodore began madly running away from the approaching swarm.

And all the while, the golden hero merely watched, a small smirk appearing on his face, as though the matter were nothing more than entertainment to stave off his boredom.

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><p><em><span>Underground Parking Lot<span>_

**{BGM: Fate/Zero OST - _The Berserker_}**

Saber and Rider were in a stand-off as they faced down Berserker, the smoking ruin of the deserted parking lots beneath the town hall still aflame, even as the water spewed from the indoor fire sprinklers overhead. They had attacked the mad Servant together, and had even managed to momentarily overpower him-but Saber's intended fatal strike from her invisible sword never ran true. The mindless black beast had somehow known the trajectory of the blue knight's invisible sword, and had actually stopped the blade with his gauntlet-clad hands.

This had unnerved Saber greatly, as only a man who knew her sword well could have gauged it with such eerie accuracy. The only Servant in the War who had seen it up close was Lancer, but she grimly knew him to be already slain, betrayed by his own Master who'd ordered him to fall on his own spear. And that could only mean one thing-that Berserker was possibly a knight from her time.

Rider, however, had come to that conclusion already, his face grim and his eyes set with a piercing, burning intensity. The King of Conqueror's Master had, in a stroke of realizing brilliance, even narrowed down the feral warrior's true identity... but it did not please Iskandar. For if what Waver thought was true, if his observances of Berserker's power was as uncanny as Rider thought... He did not know how Saber would react. It wasn't his place to divulge such knowledge to Saber, not when her own actions, her own way of kingship, had likely brought about such a tragic end for a warrior as noble as the man Rider suspected Berserker to be. But she was, in all honesty, just a girl. She put on the role of martyr, to be sure, but she was only a child at heart, trying to play the role of a man. And no child needed to see such a thing they had wrought.

The King of Knights then brandished her blade, it's ethereal tip pointed towards Berserker. "I ask this, assuming you to be a skilled knight." She asked with solemn dignity and pride. "If you know me to be Arturia Pendragon, King of Britain, give me your name, as a knight's honor demands! Attacking whilst unrevealed befits only an assassin!"

For a short moment, there was a silence between the three of them, before the black knight's armor seemed to creak and shudder, like the steel of his armor was quaking against his violent trembling. He let out something they could only describe as a muted growl, or perhaps some sinister chortle. Then, the dark mist with which he girdled himself in suddenly began to dissipate, revealing the battle-scarred but flawless armor he wore beneath, as black as night and spikes lining the fine plate. Saber let out a small gasp at first, her eyes widening as more and more of the mad warrior was revealed.

"N-no..." She uttered in disbelief. Saber had seen that armor before. She had seen it many a time in her life. But... it simply could not be. This was not the noble knight she had known! He couldn't possibly be the insane, wretched figure she saw before her!

And yet, as though to shatter her denial, a wisp of black mist swirled from his hand, until it gave way to reveal a sword as black as the armor he wore, the very air around it distorted in demonic energy.

"Arondight?" Saber uttered in horror. "No... no, you cannot be...!"

"Then the lad was right," Rider said gravely, his eyes narrowing as he saw the crack Bucephalus had inflicted on Berserker's helmet rip the helmet further asunder. Yet if his comment had impacted Saber, she did not show it, for she could only gape as she stared at the black knight, and heard it growl a single word.

"**_Aaaaaarrrrrrthuuuurrrr...!_**"

His helmet finally snapped in twain, each half falling to either side of him, as the mad warrior's horrifying visage was revealed. Where once there may have been a fair look about him, Berserker's face was now gaunt, pallid, and ghastly; like a man not counted amount the living, but more as a vengeful phantom of an unquenchable malice. His teeth seemed as terrible fangs, like a rabid monster which rent and tore at it's food. But what truly set out were his eyes. They appeared almost soulless, and yet at the same time, there was a light to them-the light of undying hatred and spite, of pure anger and rage.

"Sir... Lancelot..." Saber said mutely, stricken more than she had ever been as she beheld the man she had called nigh her brother, warped from the valiant and loyal figure she had known in life into the monster she now stood against. Pain filled Saber's eyes, as she implored him. "Why, my friend? You were the first among my Knights of the Round Table! So, why...? How could you have become a Berserker-!"

But before Saber could continue her desperate pleas, Lancelot charged against them with a furious roar, his eyes that of a man possessed, brandishing his sword with a new-found deadliness and skill. Rider grimaced at the blue knight's eyes, so full of fractured resolve and weakened will to fight, and surged Bucephalus forward, intercepting the black knight. He knew she couldn't fight against that beast and hope to survive-not in her dispirited state.

Iskandar's war-mount went up on it's hind legs, kicking and flailing it's hooves, each with enough brute force to easily shatter steel a meter thick, against the mad warrior in an attempt to deter him. But the ebon Knight of the Lake would not be repelled, not when it had finally found it's quarry. Instead of charging into Bucephalus' battering-ram-esqe hooves, he leaped high in the air, the trajectory of his jump enough for him to bypass the King of Conquerors entirely, and dive in to strike the form of the little girl behind him-

But the sound of thunder suddenly roared in the burning parking lot, and a surge of lightening suddenly struck the mad warrior in the back, sending him hurdling back into the far wall, smashing a crater into the concrete as his armored form slammed into the mesh of stone and metal. Rider's sword, now brandished towards Lancelot, seemed to have small wisps of smoke coming off it, sparks of electricity pulsating off the blade. "It is most unwise-and rather incredibly rude, might I add- to turn your back on an opponent, Knight of the Lake," The Macedonian king said with some disdain in his regal voice, his red eyes boring into the mad warrior with a silent but deadly light in them. "I would warn you to not repeat that mistake, lest I make an example of you."

"Rider!" Saber protested, sounding almost appalled. "This is not your battle! Lancelot is-"

"If your resolve is so easily shaken from merely seeing a ghost from your past," Iskandar spoke up, interrupting her with a brazen casualty, "Then you are less of a hero than I had thought, Saber." The words seemed to have effect on her, as she grit her teeth at him angrily. "Do not forget we have a mission to accomplish here! We have your dainty lady-friend to still search for, and after that is the matter of the Grail. If you allow your past to cloud the goal before you, how shall you ever move forward?"

"Rider..." Saber uttered, before her attention was again affixed to Lancelot, the latter rising up from off the ground, growling like a mad dog as he glowered at the, his sword clutched in hand.

"For now, we must focus to the task at hand. This fellow may be your old friend indeed, but if we are to have any hope of saving Lady Irisviel and stopping whatever foes lie ahead from obtaining the Grail, you must not allow your past bond to sway your blade. We must get pass him, or we'll be failures as Servants by leaving our Masters in the drift."

For a moment, there was a look of conflict in Saber's poise, but Rider nodded approvingly as the steely conviction returned to her eyes, gripping her sword with a renewed strength. Together, they faced down their now-recovered foe, both waiting for him to make the next strike.

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><p><strong>{BGM: FateZero Anime OST - _Dogfight 2_}  
><strong>

As a general rule, Waver Velvet did not like explosions. They were louder and less subtle than Americans, and had the same lack of delicacy and tidiness as those overpaid, oversexed burger-eaters. And besides, anytime something exploded when preforming alchemy, it was virtually _always _bad news.

So when Emiya Kiritsugu gave him a few pinches of napalm and told him to make impromptu grenades out of them using his alchemical knowledge, Waver thought he was a nutter.

However, opinions have a tendency to change when one is being chased by a horde of monstrously hideous, obscenely shaped, presumably man-eating locust-beetle-worm... _things_. Now, Waver sincerely regretted he hadn't made more, as whenever he chucked a capsule full of the putty material back into his and Theodore's arthropod pursuers, a healthy chunk of them promptly began to violently combust into flambeed chunks, before their remains began to fade into nothing on the floor, as proper familiars ought. Sure, his ears should have been bleeding by that point, and was narrowly avoiding being caught in the blasts himself, and the damage caused by the explosives were both crude and unsubtle; but it was better than letting those little buggers sink their rather nasty-looking teeth into his tender, squishy flesh.

Alas, however, no matter how many Waver managed to blow up, more kept coming at him, almost as infuriatingly relentless as Berserker was to Saber. His legs, fueled by adrenaline and bolstered by Reinforcement, would give out soon if he didn't do something-and to top it all off, he was running dangerously short on those napalm capsules.

Not to mention Theodore's nearly incessant screeching was both unbelievably irritating and distracting amidst the cacophony of life-and-death panic and noise.

"Shut up, dammit!" Waver panted as he struggled to keep running alongside his ferret familiar, wondering how the little rodent could run so fast. "Have you got any better ideas to ward them off?!" Lobbing yet another napalm capsule back at the swarm, Waver quickly turned his head back forward, just in time to avoid being blinded by the flash of light which not-too-discreetly signaled the capsule had worked, followed immediately by the inhuman screeching of the insect familiars as they were ripped and smouldered to pieces. Somehow, throughout all this, Waver had managed not being caught within the blast radius of any of his capsules. Wincing from the noise and heat from behind him, he could not have seen that one of the insects, aflame from the napalm and grotesquely mutilated, shooting out like a bullet from the smoke and fire which had claimed so many of it's brothers. Closing in on Waver with a hungry desperation, it bared it's monstrous fangs to it's target's back-

Before Theodore leaped into the air, the usually cowardly ferret displaying a courage one would hardly expect from so small a creature as he snarled, catching the ugly worm's soft neck between his jaws and using all his strength to bite down on the enemy familiar's flesh with all the force of his tiny body. Waver only became aware that his familiar had saved his life when he heard him hit the floor just behind him, causing him to gape. Theodore was truthfully just a familiar he'd found, rather than one he had personally made. As a result, the ferret was less than wholly obedient when it came to following his orders, though they had somehow managed on their own. But... to see him risk himself like that for his sake...

Waver's thoughts were interrupted when he looked farther back, a new wave of insect familiars surging forward-and with Theodore still on the ground, wrestling for his life against that one familiar...

Time seemed to slow down for him in that moment, everything moving at a crawl as his brain fired up into gear. If he tried to help Theodore, the bugs would likely get them both before they could get away. He could still use the napalm, but the risk of using it at so close a range would be too great. If he kept running, he could likely still have a chance at buying himself some time until Rider got there-but to do so would mean he'd leave his mustilid companion behind... and at the mercy of those monstrosities.

The choice was obvious to Waver.

"-Dammit!" Gritting his teeth, Waver cursed as he spun himself around, triggered what he only then realized was the last of the napalm capsules, and flung it at full swing towards the approaching swarm, before rushing over to Theodore and scooping him up in his arms, leaving the twitching worm familiar bleeding on the ground-

**_*BOOM*_**

Before the loudest noise in Waver would ever hear hit his ears as the napalm capsule did it's terrible duty. This time, he wasn't able to run away to escape the blast. The resulting explosion sent him and Theodore hurdling through the air... and then Waver knew only darkness.

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><p>{<span><strong>BGM: FateZero OST; _Struggle and Spun_**}

Not for the first time since the Holy Grail War began, Saber owed a debt to the King of Conquerors.

On her own, she knew she'd have had no resolve to face down her comrade Lancelot. In her time, he had been the greatest among all the chevaliers she had ever know, unmatched in skill, ferocity, and valor-even her feats of arms found fault in the face of his masterful grace and deadliness. Still she felt like a cold, long blade had run her through as she beheld her former friend, the one knight she had trusted in life above all others. Every terrible blow he rained down upon her-every strike she parried and blocked against, felt as though they were a battering ram which made her resolve tremor, her will to fight, buckle.

Alone, she knew, she'd have had little chance. Even were she fully resolved to win, she held no delusions that the battle would have been an easy one.

But she was not alone. Though Rider's words from their banquet still haunted her, his presence in that moment seemed to ironically keep her eyes unclouded by grief and anguish. His larger than life frame seemed to stand firm as a mountain even as her own strength faltered; her pride as a king and a knight forced her to keep fighting whenever she saw him so resolutely battling the maddened warrior, not wanting to appear lacking against him.

She had caught a glimpse of the King of Conquerors' martial prowess both when he annihilated Assassin as well as when she had pursued him when she believed him responsible for kidnapping Irisviel. Swinging his comparatively massive spatha sword like it was nothing but a feather in his hands, it's steel flashing in the dark like the lightening he hurled. To be sure, he was not the most gifted of swordsmen; Saber doubted he would triumph against her or Berserker in a pure duel.

But, despite being the slowest of the three Servants battling amidst the flames, despite being the least versed in feats of arms... Rider's boldness and ferocity was not shamed by them. Rather, somehow his strength and valor seemed to shine all the more, even as his blade began to chip and crack against the onslaught of Arondight. By all rights, Lancelot should have landed a fatal blow against Rider many times before, and yet at every turn, fortune seemed to smile on the King of Conquerors. It was the same as when he'd intervened in the nick of time when she had first fought Berserker, where she would have been slain by the black knight and Lancer. The same as when he had narrowly managed to emerge unscathed from Excalibur's blinding light when his chariot had been destroyed beneath him.

Luck. The measure of one's ability in life to overcome the expectations and realities of the world. The affinity to naturally manipulate or outright defy fate. Each Servant possessed this as one of the parameters which judged a Servant's strengths and weaknesses. While Saber herself couldn't read another Servant's statistics, Rider himself had boasted having the best of fortune both in life and during the Grail War... and it showed. At each critical juncture in every battle he'd fought in up to that moment, some turn of fate seemed to allow him to avoid a fatal blow, or manage to intervene at his pleasure right when it would have been needed.

And it was not luck alone which augmented Iskandar's fighting ability in this crossing of blades, either. Saber was amazed she hadn't noticed it before, but she could feel an extremely potent aura surrounding him; one that quickened his reflexes, strengthened his sword-arm, and made his magical power jump to levels Saber could hardly comprehend. She could not understand where he had gained such a boon.

But now was not the time to dwell on that. Even with his bolstered strength and peerless fortune in battle, Rider was still only managing to hold his own against the onslaught of the Knight of the Lake. Certainly, Iskandar had the fortitude to withstand blocking Lancelot's blows, but with Arondight in his hands, the black knight pulverized all in his path like a black, desolating storm. He swung his demonic sword so fast Saber could scarcely see the blade beyond that of a flashing dark blur, cutting through the air at speeds rivaling Lancer's easily. And the force which each blow carried could easily cut both her and Rider down with but a single direct hit, even as they both boasted extremely high constitutions among Servants.

Fortunately, the fact that she and Rider now faced him together meant that the battle was not one-sided. Even with his superior power, Saber could tell that between the two of them, they could hold Lancelot at bay and perchance keep up the stalemate until her former brother-in-arms finally drained his Master. She knew that the Berserker class of Servant was notorious for always killing their summoner through the sheer overwhelming amounts of prana necessary to maintain their monstrous strength. While the notion of simply waiting to finish off Lancelot when he was helpless was nothing short of revolting and unjust to Saber, she knew she had to endure and keep fighting if she were to have any chance of saving Irisviel... and the Grail.

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><p><strong><span>{BGM: Fate Zero Anime OST; <em>Forebodings<em>}**

Kariya howled through gritted teeth as he felt another of his veins explode from the sheer pressure of Beserker's toll combined with the manipulation of the worms at his side. Half-mad from sheer, unadulterated agony, the white sheep of the Matous looked down at the unconscious, prone form of the boy and his familiar. He'd been annoyingly evasive as Kariya hounded him with his crest worms, causing him even more agonizing pain as the parasites still inside him tore his body further and further apart.

It was frankly a miracle he hadn't collapsed yet, because between him chasing the boy, the strain of summoning more and more worms, and the impossibly massive drain of prana Berserker was imposing on him was mind-shatteringly painful.

His already broken psyche threatening to fracture from the unadulterated, excruciating agony wracking his body, the man saw through his hazy vision a figure he did not expect to see... and yet found nothing at all out of place.

"Why are you in so much pain...?" The little girl asked, her eyes listless and empty to the world around her, and yet filled with a deep, subtle sorrow.

"Because... Berserker has to fight..." Kariya wheezed out, looking at Matou Sakura with his one good eye, sweat and blood staining his already marred face. He then turned his head back to the boy on the ground. The only reason he was still alive was because Kariya hadn't released any new worms on him. "And... I had to stop him from getting the Grail..."

"Why do you have to?" Sakura asked again. "Are you going to kill him?"

"Yeah... I'd rather not... but I can't let him take what that priest promised..."

"The priest promised you something?"

"Yeah... he said he'd give me the Grail, if I did as he asked-*hack*" A small amount of blood sputtered from Kariya's lips, as he coughed and gasped for a few moments, before he turned to look at the girl again. "If I have the Grail, I can... save you."

"You're going to save me?" There was a small yet desperate hope in her voice.

"That's right... I promised you..." A disturbing light danced in Matou Kariya's eyes as he looked at the girl he was fighting so hard for-something between madness, desperation, and hope. "We'll go playing in the park... like we used to."

"Then... I'll be able to see my mother again?"

And in an instant, Sakura was gone from Kariya's sight. A new figure took her place-one which caused Kariya's eyes to be filled with a realizing, maddened horror. "Your... mother..."

There, looking down upon Kariya with empty, cold eyes, was Tohsaka Aoi. The woman who brought Sakura and Rin into the world. The woman he'd loved... and killed.

With an agonized cry, Kariya dug his fingers into the ground, his fingernails cracking against the floor. When his voice became hoarse, he reaffirmed what must be done to at least save Sakura. With eyes filled with lunatic, murderous intent, he looked down at the boy's prone form. With clammy, bloody hands, he reached out to the boy's neck...


	3. Chapter Zero Point Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night, nor any additions, spin-offs, or adaptations of the Fate series. All titles are owned by Type Moon, and I am in no way shape or form claiming ownership of their characters, ideas, or works, and only use them for entertainment purposes only. Please support the official release.

A/N: **_I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!_** More than half a freaking year has gone by since I updated this poor thing?! Alright, then! Master Chief's adventures in Westeros can wait!

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><p><strong>[BGM: FateZero OST - **_**The Berserker**_**]**

How long had he awaited this moment?

_Arondight, like a sliver of night, crashing against the hidden blade of Excalibur, the sister swords crying out in a tragic, magnificent music as they so bitterly clashed._

How much had he yearned for this outcome to unfold?

_The anguished yet determined look upon his king's face as she swung her divine sword again and again to repel the advance of his fell blade._

How long had he dreamed of this penance, languishing in his own sins upon the Throne of Heroes?

"_**AAAAARRRRTHUUUURR!**_"

Again his body surged towards the one he had loved more than any other, had respected more than any other. Again his sword sought to cut her in t'wain, only for her to parry it with virtual flawlessness. The giant warrior beside her moved in to strike with his enormous sword-but he was inferior. Inferior swordsmanship. Inferior stance. Inferior armor. Inferior weapon. Yes, the blade was that of a king, but it was forged by but the hands of man, no match for the make of the fae. The swords Arondight and Excalibur were crafted by the fairies, sister incarnations of the glories of the planet itself. He could see the chips, notches, and cracks his weapon had carved into the conqueror's blade. Even in his maddened state, as his body moved and raged of it's own accord, Lancelot instinctively recognized that, for all of his bulk and endurance, the Servant of the Mount was not nearly as great a swordsman as himself or his former king. Every time the giant had rushed forth to attack him, his giant red mantle billowing behind him, Rider's attacks were easily parried and batted aside. By that alone, the bellowing Servant should have met his end at Arondight's edge…

And yet he did not.

Be it by some damnable coincidence or some foul trick of fate, whenever a fatal blow was upon Rider, the King of Conquerors had somehow narrowly cheated death, always somehow able to avoid the mortal blows meant to slay him. It wasn't to say he escaped unscathed, however-already he could see the blood from where Arondight had managed to land on Rider's body. His cuirass was cracked and sundered where it had managed to land a blow on him, Lancelot's sword having slashed a superficial but nevertheless bleeding gash in the conqueror's side.

His king, however, had only the barest scratches marring her. Even in his mindless rage, in all his spite and hatred, he could only see her as the flower of the battlefield, the flawless knight and most valiant of champions. All of which, only served to stoke his resentment even further. Again he howled her name, and again he charged against her, Arondight singing it's demented yet beautiful song as the blade was swung through the air. Excalibur again smashed into its sister, the dazzling brilliance of the sword of promised victory starkly contrasted against his own weapon of blackest night. The Servant of the Mount again lumbered forward, roaring his ancient battle cry as he raised his sword up to bear it down upon him as Arondight danced with Excalibur.

It would be the last time that sword would be swung against him.

Though both of his hands occupied with locking his weapon against his king, Lancelot instinctually knew from the wear of Rider's blade that one well-placed strike would shatter the lion-pommeled blade. Thus, he merely watched as the spatha descended upon him… before he shifted his armored leg back, and then like a desolating storm swung it violently forth, connecting his greaved boot into the fuller of Iskandar's weapon. The effect was nigh instantaneous. The blade itself was powerful, one could acredit. It was certainly of a higher make than mere steel, and against many a weapon it could outlast. But it was most certainly not a Noble Phantasm, much less one on par with the fabled blades of the Knights of the Round Table. And having repeatedly weathered blows from one such a storied sword, it could not ultimately triumph.

And with one final thrust of his already enormous strength, now augmented by Arondight's power, Lancelot forced Rider's blade to at last yield to his superior might, as all of the cracks and notches all buckled and wreathed across the whole of the sword from the shock wave of his leg's raw physical force. Both Rider and Saber seemed shocked at the feat Berserker displayed, but it was only for an instant. The shards flung straight into Saber's face, and she barely had the time to shield her face from the shrapnel about to tear into her face, the blue knight leaping back to avoid it. With Saber distracted for but an instant, the black knight moved quickly, swerving on the leg he still had on the ground to thrust his raised one into Rider's now-exposed chest, putting so much force behind it that he literally sent the Servant hurdling into a support column yards behind him.

All of this, he had done in the blink of an eye.

With the interloper removed, Lancelot moved in for his one true prey, roaring again as he lunged towards Saber. Arondight swung through the air, even as Saber could barely begin to defend herself, raising Excalibur to block the savage downward slash. But Lancelot's move of shattering Iskandar's sword, combined with the single-minded, blindingly fast follow up of pursuing Saber rather than attempting to finish off Rider, left the King of Knights momentarily disoriented. And that moment was all he needed. For while Excalibur withstood Arondight's wrath, Saber did not see Berserker's gauntleted hand thrust toward her, until she felt the overwhelmingly huge strength within it vised around her neck, leaving her gasping and choking for oxygen, her feet kicking in the air as the black knight raised her up with one hand high off the ground.

"_**Aaaarrrrthuuuuurrrr…!**_"

* * *

><p>The pain was nearly unbearable. Saber could feel the sharp metal of Lancelot's gauntlets digging into the skin of her neck, squeezing down on her throat with enough force to powderize steel. Any normal human, and likely a Servant of lesser caliber, would have already had their heads rolling on the ground, with their necks reduced to splinters of bone, shredded gore, and blood sputtering from vessels ripped and torn open. Saber herself was exerting every last ounce of strength left in her body to just make sure she didn't meet a similar end, and even then her attempts to gasp for air were met in vain.<p>

Already she could feel the deprivation of air burning her lungs, her head feeling numb without oxygen. As Berserker's eyes bore into her own, she could not help but wonder… _Did you… hate me this much?_ Had her ideals truly alienated her so much from one she had regarded as friend and ally? _Is your madness… my fault?_ Had she, in her kingship, abandoned him to his loathing? Was she so disconnected from her own people, so adherent to what was right… that she could not see the pain of those she loved?

She tried to wrench herself free of Lancelot's grip, but to no avail, as she barely had the strength to wield her sword in her other hand. She could only watch as he raised Arondight up, roaring as he swung down. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Saber, unable to tear her gaze from the blade of her friend, as a cold realization filled her. She would die here. His hold over her neck was too strong for her to break away in time. Even if she were to run enough mana through her arms to cut his hold on her, she would not be able to raise Excalibur in time to stop the demon sword set to cleave her in twain. Was this to be her punishment for being unable to understand those who followed her? Was this the price she would pay for all the sacrifices she made through the loss of her comrades and her own choices?

An emptiness filled Saber's mind as she watched the blade fall closer and closer to her head in the crawl of time her instincts instilled upon her senses. It felt almost like a bitter peace, or a tragic contentment... That she would fail at the hands of one she had wronged.

The sword came down, and the distinct bite of blade smashing into flesh rang in the smouldering, burning devastation of the battle around them. Blood spattered Saber's armor and face, tears running from hollow and empty eyes down her cheeks with a deathly silence.

But... it was not Saber's blood stained upon her. And only scant inches from her face, Arondight was frozen in the air, unbloodied and clean. Lancelot had fallen completely silent, not even breathing in his ragged growl. In her shock, Saber could not comprehend what had happened, until she looked behind her former comrade. For looming behind Berserker was Rider, silent as he somberly looked down on their adversary. His broken sword was buried into the back of Lancelot's neck, it's broken and jagged point thrust into where his armor did not protect.

"I told you before, Berserker," Rider said with a tired voice, "You cannot turn your back to a foe." With a sudden flare of Iskandar's fiery eyes, a surge of lightning rolled and arced through Berserker's body, electrocuting and roasting the mad warrior from within his own armor. The black knight was terrifyingly silent even as this brutal execution was inflicted upon his body, even as his skin burned and his body buckled. When at last the volts of lightning stopped rippling across him, Iskandar pulled his shattered blade from Lancelot's body, allowing the mad warrior to fall to the ground.

"Lance...lot..." Saber uttered as she looked down upon her friend with frozen sadness in her eyes. But the former Knight of the Round Table did not respond. The madness which has ruled his was gone now, replaced by the face she remembered he had in life. The calm, serene, and fair Chevalier of the Lake. His eyes were closed now, blood spurting from his mouth-and in that moment, she knew he was gone from the world once more. The Mad Servant began to fade, his body dissipating like grains of dark, shimmering sand in the wind. Silencing the grief welling within her, Arturia did not allow emotion to cloud her voice. "Even so, I… will obtain the Holy Grail," She said aloud, determined to at least comfort Lancelot in his final moments. "If I do not… I will have nothing to recompense you with."

For a long, silent moment, there was only the sounds of the destruction surrounding the three Servants, and the water sprinkling from the ceiling trying to extinguish the flames. But then, came a voice Saber did not think to hear. His madness stripped away and his mind whole once more, Lancelot spoke in his final moments, despite his gory wound. "...Even after all of this… you would still take up your sword... for such a reason…?" He smiled, almost seeming relieved or humored. "Truly helpless, you are..."

And with that, Berserker, the Knight of the Lake, the greatest of the Knights of the Round Table, died; the fourth Servant lost in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

* * *

><p><strong>[BGM: FateZero Anime OST - **_**Nervous**_**]**

Something soft and wet repeatedly touching against his cheek was the first sensation Waver could feel after blacking out. For how long he was out he hadn't the foggiest. His ears were still dully ringing from the last blast which had taken out the insect familiars. Very analytically, Waver guessed from the aforementioned ringing in his head and the fact that his skull felt like it had been hit by the business end of a goddamn jackhammer that he was not, in fact, dead. Wincing as he did, he blearily opened his eyes to see Theodore beside him, licking worriedly at his cheek.

"...You better be grateful," Waver groaned to the ferret, the boy struggling to sit up. "I just saved your furry rump and got nearly blown up for it..." He immediately wondered where the skittering hordes had gone off to, considering they weren't busy eating him and his rodent friend alive. For all their explosive power, the more cynical part of Waver thought the napalm capsules wouldn't have done the trick. He attempted to glance around to see if they weren't just lurking around to take him out at their leisure… when he saw the body laying right next to him.

Out of instinct, Waver jumped up away from the figure with a not-so-dignified yelp, scrambling to his feet. It was the same guy who had yelled at Waver earlier, he realized. Was he a Master? Seeing him up close was just as horrible as the insect familiars, if not even worse. He had a sickly pale complexion, with bleached, bone white hair. Half of his face seemed horribly malformed, his vacant eyes likewise mismatched-one dark and normal, the other milky white and blind. He looked similar to a cancer patient, almost, and didn't look like the type of person one would expect to be a Master. Indeed, Waver saw no Command Seals on the man's hands.

"...He's not moving," Waver swallowed.

"It is the price he pays for having those disgusting parasites feast on his body," Came the voice of Archer, whom Waver had all but forgotten in the chaotic chase. The golden Servant had a look somewhere between boredom and disdain at the scene, an expression which made Waver look at the Servant in fear. "I was hoping for him to put on a better performance, but it seems even at the end of his rope the mongrel continues to underwhelm me."

Waver's thought process went cold with dread. The 'parasites' Archer was referring to… 'feasting on his body'? Suddenly the implications were hitting Waver like a freight train, causing him to nearly vomit. Those insect familiars were… **inside **him?! The magus part of his brain came to the conclusion that, if he were indeed a Master, and if Berserker, the most difficult of all Servants to control, were here… "This is… Berserker's Master? But his Command Seals..."

"Perceptive, I see," Archer said, an amused smirk on his face. "You continue to show more shreds of worth, boy. I thought your incompetence would be the end of you when that mongrel there sought to take your life, yet he collapsed before he could do the deed. Through desperation and sheer dumb fortune, you have managed to survive... I find myself amused you prevailed over Berserker's Master, however coincidental it was." He seemed to narrow his eyes at that, his gaze shifting towards the exit to the chamber. "And if that mongrel's Command Seals have been extinguished, then Saber is finished playing with her mad dog of old. She and Rider will be arriving soon."

Whatever conclusions Waver could have surmised from Archer's implications were cut short as he heard a sputtering cough from the fallen figure on the ground. The presumed Master was wheezing weakly, his eyes blank and listless. Waver could see just from looking at the man that he was going to die. If it wasn't the blood coming out of every facial orifice, it was the simple fact the man couldn't move anymore. His voice hardly even a whisper on his breath, the man spoke a name, unable to recognize anyone was listening. "Sa...kura...cha..."

Waver had seen far, far worse in the Grail War, with Caster's horrific workshop coming forefront into his mind; but upon seeing the prone figure before him, Waver could only feel pity for the man. What had he struggled so much for that he would pursue the Grail even in his condition? What aspirations and dreams had he hoped to fulfill, that he'd subject his body to such an awful fate? What the hell could such a man hope to accomplish in the end, knocking on death's door and having fallen so far?

The sudden crash of steel biting into the ground shot Waver out of his thoughts a second time, and he flinched when he saw the grand looking sword embedded into the floor only a few feet away from him. Archer's imperious voice rang in the air. "For amusing me in such a fashion, I have chosen to allow you to finish off your adversary personally. It is the right of the victor to vanquish his enemy at his own leisure. Take up that sword, boy, and put an end to that miserable mongrel's life."

Waver was surprised at how hesitant he felt, looking between the sword and the figure on the ground. He was his enemy, and as a Master of the Holy Grail War and as a magus, it would be natural for Waver to kill the man. But… he seemed so helpless now. There was no way he could get up and fight again, not with his insect familiars gone and his body destroyed from the inside out. Was it really right for him to ruthlessly slay someone so broken and crippled? Or was it a mercy to put him out of such apparent suffering?

But, in a repetition which made Waver start thinking like the universe seemed to be actively trying to interrupt his train of thought at every turn, the sounds of approaching footsteps came from the entrance to the chamber. Sure enough, it was both Rider as well as Saber. Rider himself looked wounded, and his eyes were uncharacteristically grim. Despite this, he stood tall and undaunted, his fiery eyes seeming to only become sharper with his grim countenance. Saber, despite being the more whole of the pair, seemed shaken to her core, as though the battle with Berserk had unsettled her something fierce. _Was I right…?_ Waver thought to himself, wondering if his hunch on Berserker's identity was on the mark.

Whatever wavering Saber's face contained was quickly suppressed when she lay eyes on Archer, who merely smirked at her. "Archer..." she nearly hissed, brandishing her invisible blade.

Rider heaved a sigh. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Goldie. Figures you'd beat us to the Grail first."

"The fault is entirely your own, Rider," Archer replied. "You allowed Saber to frolick around with her rabid dog of old for so long, you had me wait. Though, your Master did markedly better a job at providing me with some entertainment than I thought him capable of."

"Truly?" Iskandar muttered, shifting his gaze across the chamber until he saw Waver. "Yo, lad! It's good to see you're in one piece!" He had a face which seemed both confused and relieved. "And what happened in here? It looks like Goldie went loose in here, but..." He stopped when he noticed the body of the man near Waver. "Is that…?"

"Berserker's Master," Archer again spoke with a nod. "When your own Master arrived here, he was contested by the one laying on the floor. The boy managed to crawl and claw his way to victory by sheer luck. An admirable attempt to alleviate my boredom as I waited here for you. I believe you should congratulate him for that deed. But, before that..." The golden hero narrowed his eyes at Waver's friend. "Why are you so wounded, King of Conquerors? Have you forgotten what I had decided at our banquet-that I will be the one one to crush you? I will not be satisfied in your defeat unless you are at full strength. And yet you come here, torn like a slab of meat, and your own weapon shattered."

"Well..." Rider said casually, scratching the back of his head, an almost embarrassed look on his face. "It irks me to say this, but I lost my chariot to Saber, to begin with. And I couldn't well allow Saber to battle Berserker alone, what with us being allied and all. However!" His voice became resolute there, making his way over to Waver without breaking stride. "It is precisely _because _my weapons are depleted, and that I am not in perfect condition..." He stopped in front of the blade anchored in the ground, before grasping it by the hilt and effortlessly removed it, turning to face Archer once more, a resolute, confident fire in his eyes. "...That I am more than perfect tonight."

Archer scoffed at that, a smirk appearing on his face. "I see. Indeed, the aura that you're exuding; it's more potent than usual. And that brazen impudence to partake of my treasures without my permission-you only reinforce my need to destroy you. But I shall forgive that brazenness of yours, simply because I shall reclaim it from your corpse. Although… it seems you come here thinking you have some chance to defeat me."

But before Iskandar could retort, Saber let out a gasp, her gaze torn behind Archer. "Irisviel…!" Waver had almost forgotten about the ivory-haired woman in all the confusion earlier. She was the whole reason he and Rider had been dragged into this mess. Waver turned his head in the same direction Saber had… but was stunned silent.

**[BGM: Fate/Zero Anime OST - **_**This Day and Never Again**_**]**

Irisviel was nowhere to be found on the altar, or anywhere else for that matter. In fact, the altar itself and the floor beneath it was gone, a giant hole gaping across much of the stage and dropping into darkness below. But that wasn't what had Waver's attention. Suspending in the air right in the center of the massive hole as though by levitating by some unknown power, was an enormous chalice, intricately ornate and seemingly wrought of pure gold. It was something truly fit for only a king, and Waver couldn't deny it was a truly glorious looking treasure. There was one thing and one thing only that it could be.

"The Holy Grail..." Waver uttered. "Irisviel… was the Holy Grail?!" Suddenly, Kiritsugu's urgency in finding his wife seemed to make far too much sense. It always fell to the Einzberns to provide the Grail in every War thus far. But he'd never heard of actually making it's vessel into a living being. The thing which all the bloodshed and violence of the Holy Grail War centered around, the thing which all Masters and Servants fought and died for… was inside a woman this entire time?!

Rider sighed beside him. "By the looks of it, yes," He muttered somberly. "Damnation, it seems our mission was a failed one before we even arrived."

"Quite so, Rider," Archer confirmed. "My new Master killed that woman long before you entered the fray." Speaking to Saber now, Archer scoffed as he looked at her. "Saber… to look at your face, it's like that of a ravenous wild dog." Waver could see even from his vantage that the comparison, while crude, wasn't without merit. Saber had a desperate look in her eyes, her emerald orbs dancing in the light with the wavering of a compromised resolve. Rider spared her a concerned glance, but there was something knowing in those eyes of his, something which said he had foreseen this reaction in her. It was honestly really unsettling for Waver to see the normally unflinching and composed King of Knights reduced to such a base state.

"Get out… of the way..." The azure knight almost growled, the grip on her invisible sword tightening. "The Holy Grail… belongs… to me!"

Even as she barked out those last words, a golden ripple suspending above Archer signaled the firing of one of his many Noble Phantasms. Firing so fast that Waver couldn't see, it dived down from up high and smashed into Saber's battle skirt, the awful sound of steel rending flesh, spattering blood, and hacking at bone filling the air, followed by a short, harsh gasp surging from Saber's lips as she was forced down onto one knee. Archer closed his eyes to Saber, a pleased look on his face. "And yet, even delusional and lying on the ground… you are still a beautiful woman." The remark only caused Saber to glower at his, baring her teeth in defiance.

"Saber!" Rider finally hollered, "Don't allow yourself to lose your composure! We may have failed in rescuing Lady Irisviel, but you cannot allow yourself to lose what dignity you have left to you-especially at this closing hour!"

"Hmph," Archer scoffed. "Indeed, you are correct, King of Conquerors. This is the moment where I shall decide how to end this farce. Now, I would have you be silent for now, as I wish to finish my wedding ceremony to Saber before dealing with you."

"Hm?" Rider's eyebrows shot up at that last bit, an expression shared by Waver and Saber. "Wedding ceremony...?"

Archer's voice somehow became more imperious than before, his eyes once more on Saber. "Lay down your sword and become my wife, Saber. Why pursue something as dubious as a Grail which grants miracles? Abandon your foolish ideals and vows-from now on, seek only me and be stained only in my color. If you do, then as king of all the world, I shall give you every pleasure there is to feel."

"Wait… seriously?" Waver couldn't help but wonder. Was Archer really... trying to propose to an enemy Servant in the middle of battle?

"Can't really blame him," Rider mused. "Saber _is _a pretty little thing, no doubt."

"...You'd steal the Holy Grail from me..." Saber herself asked, defiance in her eyes as she managed to rise to her feet, despite the sword impaling her leg. "For such utter **nonsense**?!" Another ripple appeared behind Archer, and another sword erupted from that ripple. Saber managed to dodge the blow this time, but was still sent reeling back, flying through the air and back onto the ground.

"I was not asking for your opinion," Archer replied callously and uncaringly. "This is what I've decided! Now, give me your response."

"I refuse! I'd never-" A third weapon shot out at her, this time an axe which bit through her protective cuisses and, evidently by Saber's pained gasp, into the leg beneath.

"Shyness has left you at a loss for words, I see. That's fine," Archer said with a smile, extending his hand in a forgiving manner, "You may answer wrongly as many times as you like. If you would learn the jubilation of serving me..." Dozens of golden ripples of light appeared over the golden hero's head, each one brandishing swords, spears, and axes; all pointed directly at Saber. "You must first have to experience the exquisite pain of it, as well."

But before Archer could fire more weapons from his vault, a sudden, continuous gale blasted from Rider, his tattered mantle and battle-skirt billowing in the wind he created. The suddenness of it all sent Waver to the ground, landing on his ass. "Wait-Rider!" He hollered, trying to get his voice over the cry of the winds. "Are you going to use it here?!"

"We've little other choice, boy," Rider declared. "If we are to overcome Archer, our best chance is to do it before he subdues Saber any further! Within the confines of Ionian Hetairoi, we will have one chance to charge Archer before he-!" Rider cut himself off, something seeming to grab his attention, even as the winds which acted as the incantation for the summoning of his Reality Marble were howling around him.

"Rider, what is it...?!" Waver yelled again over the winds, turning his gaze to where Rider had been looking. It was towards the back end of the chamber, in the raised platform behind the stage. There, standing in the very center of the balcony, was Kiritsugu, his hand raised up, and his Command Seals shining with a red brilliance.

* * *

><p>Saber removed the sword and axe trapping her to the ground, rising up once more as she saw her Master enter the stage. She knew this was it. All Kiritsugu had to do now was order her to take the Grail, and victory would be hers at last. She would finally be able to use the Grail to avert all the tragedy of her reign, and prevent her friends and comrades from suffering by her decisions.<p>

"Ah, then you have finally reached your decision." Archer said with a smile on his face. But Saber ignored his blather, her attention entirely fixated on her Master.

"In the name of Emiya Kiritsugu," The man said with cold resolution in his voice, "And by my Command Seal, I order you, Saber…"

_Give me… the Holy Grail…_

"Use your Noble Phantasm… and destroy the Grail."

Saber's world came to a screeching halt. Against her will, Invisible Air dissipated it's girdle around Excalibur, revealing the blade in all it's golden and shining brilliance. Everyone else in the room looked just as shocked as Saber herself was at this.

"Impossible…! What are you doing, Saber?!" Archer asked, seeming both dumbfounded and outraged.

"What in the hell are you thinking, Kiritsugu?!" Rider bellowed. "Was not retrieving the Grail your ultimate goal?!"

"Wait, he's going to _destroy _it?!" Rider's Master nearly shrieked. "Why the bloody hell would he do that?!"

"No...!" Saber uttered as she struggled desperately against her body's obedience to her Master's command. Why?! Why was Kiritsugu doing this?! They were so close to victory! "But why, Master…!? You, of all people…wanted this!"

Undaunted, Kiritsugu continued with ruthless efficiency. "By my third Command Seal, I order you again..."

"Damn you to hell..." Archer sneered, turning back to face Kiritsugu, his weapons likewise shifting to take aim at him. "You dare interrupt my nuptial, mongrel?!"

"Stop, Kiritsugu!" Rider almost seemed to plead, "If you destroy the Grail, you will lose all hope of fulfilling your goals, of reuniting with your wife-!"

But Kiritsugu refused to listen. "Saber, destroy..."

In absolute desperation, Saber cried out to her Master. "_**STOOO-**_"

"The Holy Grail."

"_**-OOOP!**_" And thus Saber could only watch as she unwillingly swung Excalibur down, as the arch of light in produced erupted into a torrent of blinding, golden brilliance, obliterating all before her… and in an instant, obliterated the Holy Grail.

_How could I possibly hope to know a man… from merely three commands alone? I… I never even knew the heart of those… who served me well… Who were closest to me..._

Even as Excalibur's light consumed all around her, as the last of her mana was poured into destroying what she had yearned so long for, Saber's thoughts came to a bitter calm, her eyes closing in an accepting despair.

_Perhaps all this… was a punishment meted out to a king… who cannot understand others…_

And with those final thoughts on her mind, Saber vanished in the light of her own weapon's brilliance, her form dissipating from pouring every last ounce of mana left into fulfilling an order she had no desire to fulfill, but no power to defy.

Thus died Saber, who was in life Arturia Pendragon, rightful sovereign of Brittania, and the King of Knights.


End file.
